Memorandum
of Understanding for the implementation of a European
Concerted Research Action designated as COST
Action 623

"Soil
Erosion and Global Change"

The
Signatories to this Memorandum of Understanding, declaring their common intention
to participate in the concerted Action referred to above and described in the
Technical Annex to the Memorandum, have reached the following understanding:

1. The Action will be carried out in accordance with the provisions
of document COST 400/94 "Rules and Procedures for Implementing COST
Actions", the contents of which are fully known to the Signatories.

2. The main objectives of the Action are to make realistic predictions
of the impacts of changes in land-use and climate on soil erosion across a range
of temporal and spatial scales; to identify critical thresholds in the landscape
and soil profile which lead to irreversible changes in the rate and style of
soil erosion, and also to develop indicators that forecast irreversible change;
to identify, assemble and make available datasets pertaining to historic and
current erosion.

3. The overall cost of the activities carried out under the Action
has been estimated, on the basis of information available during the planning
of the Action, at ECU 46,5 million at 1997 prices.

4. The Memorandum of Understanding will take effect on being
signed by at least 5 Signatories.

5. The Memorandum of Understanding will remain in force for a
period of 5 years, unless the duration of the Action is modified according
to the provisions of Chapter 6 of the document referred to in Point 1 above.